


When I die I'm going to haunt the fuck out of you people

by Ghostie_Luther



Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: AU, Ghost!Luther Hargreeves, Klaus: aight bet come on out ghosties, Luther: did you fucking beckon hoe, Multi, No Apocalypse, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, The hargreeves: Klaus summon dads ghost., child Luther Hargreeves, good brother Luther, good brothers, luther died instead of ben, my poor baby luther
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:47:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24042328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostie_Luther/pseuds/Ghostie_Luther
Summary: Luther screamed, tears running down his face, knowing the awful truth but not accepting it. But who would comfort him?Nobody.Because nobody could see him.(Or, after a strange accident that none of the children bore witness to, Luther hargreeves perished at thirteen. He spent his years living invisibly alongside his siblings, until they leave. Alone in a dusty house, he submits himself to a lifetime of solitude. Then, years later as adults, they come back.)
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Luther Hargreeves & Everyone, Luther Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Allison & Ben & Diego & Klaus & Luther & Vanya, The Hargreeves Family
Comments: 48
Kudos: 157





	1. Prologue

(Okay but we are going to pretend that the apocalypse never happened or is never going to happen okay???? Because honestly ain't nobody got time for that-) 

Really, the worst thing about being dead was the boredom. You could get used to not being seen by people (although animals went nuts if they ever came near him), but when you're a ghost, there's not alot of things you can do. Bike riding? That would go down well. Knitting? Let's not pull some Molly weasly shit. Watching Tv? The local priest would be called everytime he tried to change a channel. 

So here he was, legs crossed and chin propped in his hand, sitting on top of the kitchen table, staring at his robot mother humming while cooking as he had done for the past 29 years of his life. 

He would never have even _dreamed_ of doing something as childish as sitting on the table when he was still alive, because he didn't have a death wish thank you very much. Old Reggie, the complete and utter bastard, would punish him seven different ways for displaying such behaviour in front of his siblings. However, Reginald couldn't see him now, which he made the most of. He frequently licked his finger and stuck it into his fathers ear whenever he had the chance, delighted in the full body shiver it induced. He danced on top of furniture, cursed, sang, laughed, ran, and once he even sat in his father's lap and decided to quote the entire script of bee movie, something in which he heard other children talk about as they walked passed the academy. 

Luther sighed heavily, bright blue eyes disappearing behind thick feminine lashes. 

Oh what he wouldn't do for a little fun. 

He perked up instantly at the sight of pogo rushing into the room, panting heavily and nearly tripping. Grace turned around with a kind, motherly smile.

"Grace," exclaimed Pogo.

"Reginald is gone."

And Graces smooth features dropped in disbelief, pupils shrinking as code flashed throughout her body. She promtly dusted her hands on her apron and took off at a fast and urgent pace, pogo hobbling behind her weakly.

Luther grinned, wickedly sharp as his eyes glistened in a light that hadn't been there for years.

"Oh, things are about to get a whole lot more interesting."

And he swiftly disappeared upstairs.


	2. I think we're alone now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "SOMEBODY TALK TO ME", The young boy howled.
> 
> But nobody would answer the lost little boy.
> 
> Aka: the chapter where Luther is discovered dancing in his father's study by Klaus, who, with Ben, learnt to not be as reliant on drugs anymore.

_16 years ago_

_Allison jolted awake as the mission alarm blasted through the house, before, oddly enough, silencing itself with a last sharp note. It never stopped until they were out of the house and on their way to a crime in progress. But, they had just come back from a mission earlier in the day! A bank robbing, no fatalities, and everything was flawless. Ben didn't even need to use the horror!_

_She faltered, debating whether or not to get changed into her mission clothes, but seeing as the alarm was cut off for the first time ever in her short life, she decided it was better to investigate first. Maybe this was just a test? A stimulation set up by dad? She didn't know. The little pink alarm clock she had on her bedside table flashed with glowing numbers, taunting her and adding to her muddled confusion._

_3:13am._

_She tiptoed over to her door and cracked it open curiously. She could hear the confused and tired mumbles of her siblings, as they all ventured out of their own rooms up and down the hall, glancing left and right and meeting eachothers gazes. She looked to her right, expecting to see Luther, snapped to attention, awake and ready for a mission. Anything to please their distant, cold dad. But, unusually, he wasn't there. His door was already open, and a quick peek inside showed his room empty, model airplane parts and blueprints strewn around from his favourite hobby, and decorative glow in the dark stars littered his ceiling with soft green light, creating an astral glow above his bed._

_She closed his door softly, before joining Ben, Klaus, and vanya, where they huddled in the middle of the cold hallway, shivering in their thin pajamas. It was summer, so Reginald had ordered a change in clothing, lest they get too heated in the night and unable to sleep, prompting them to make easily avoided mistakes out of exhaustion. Vanya and Allison wore modest grey gowns that went down to just above their ankles, and the boys wore black shorts that went down to just above their knees, and either a white or grey short sleeve t shirt. Ben and Luther often wore warm socks to bed, to help with circulation during morning or surprise training._

_Diego came out of his room, clutching a knife threatingly in one hand._

_"W-w-wh- did you guys hear the alarm too?" He asked, tired and unable to be bothered enough to 'picture the words in his mind'. Vanya nodded meekly, while klaus growled._

_"Who didn't? I thought it was a dream or I had missed it all when I woke up. Almost went back to sleep. What the fuck is going on?"_

_They winced, looking towards Allison for her attached-at-the-hip shadow, Luther. He always had a thing about swearing, and was always on their case like a suck up, so the reprimand was only inevitable. To their surprise however, he wasn't there. Klaus let out a slow whistle._

_"Woooow Luther? Of all people? To not answer dad's alarm?" He slow clapped. Brava, he mumbled. Diego scoffed, striding up the hallway in big steps, before pounding on the door violently._

_"C-c-come on space boy!" He hollered. "I k-know you n-need your beauty sleep b-but this is really c-cutting it!" Allison grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop the loud banging that was going on inside her head responding to his knocking, ready to tell him that he wasn't in there, when she was interrupted._

_"Calm dow-!"_

_"master Diego, please stop that at once." Came pogos tired voice from the end of the corridor. Diego turned, scowl playing on his lips._

_"W-why does h-he get special t-treatment?" He demanded, before silencing himself and allowing his eyes to grow wide._

_Pogo was crying. Hot, damp tear tracks trailed a delicate path down his aging fur, and his intelligent eyes were red and bloodshot._

_"You are needed in the study, children. I truly am sorry." And he turned around a limped away._

_Vanyas near silent whisper floated around the hallway._

_"Why is pogo crying?"_

_Unable to answer, they all made their way towards Reginald study. Slowly, cautiously at first, but slowly growing in speed until they were sprinting towards the middle floor of the mansion, coming to a stop outside of his evil looking ornate door._

_Diego, seeing as Luther wasn't here (probably still 'sleeping', he thought bitterly) raised his hand to knock, when the door was opened from the inside by Grace. And the children were horrified._

_Graces' usually calm exterior was plagued by an ugly grief. Her eyes were sad and leaking unsalty, pure water tears, her blouse and hair were in disarray, and her normally pristine dress had blood dotted around the collar and sleeves. They didn't even know mom could FEEL things like grief. Even when five disappeared, she was generally composed- if- only by Reginald orders._

_"Come in children." She beckoned, unusually sombre. Their dad was sitting in his chair, writing in his notebook, completely fine. This was met with both a mixture of relief and great disappointment from his adoptive children. Pogo stood to his left, head lowered to the ground in pain. Finally, after a minute of silence, Ben spoke up._

_"Dad? Should we go get Luther if you want to talk to us?" And Reginald actually scoffed. Pogo gave him a look of pure **loathing** and Grace put a hand over her mouth. Reginald looked up, and with a clear voice with an even clearer intent, said:_

_"That won't be possible. I'm afraid to tell you that Number One is deceased. That is all. You may return to your bedrooms. Morning training is at 6:30, followed by breakfast at 7 and then more training afterwards. Dismissed."_

_And the normally perfect children...._

_Shattered._

_Vanya clapped both hands to her mouth in horror, eyes filling with glassy tears which quickly overflowed down her doll like cheeks. Diego stiffened, the knife clutched in his hand nearly bending with the force he was holding it with. Klaus and Ben both looked at eachother in horror, before they both sank to the ground holding eachother, going from a quiet squeaks to horrid, ugly sobs. And Allison..._

_She wailed, high and keening before sinking to the floor, clutching the carpet in shaking hands as her body was racked with Nausea. Her older brother. The bright blonde boy who held their siblings hands and the weight of his team on those narrow shoulders. His shiny blue eyes were outmatched by his heart of gold. All he ever wanted was for his siblings to be safe. And they all made fun of him for it. Just minutes ago Diego was saying he needed beauty sleep!_

_Vanya made a sound between a howl and a sob._

_"Lu-u-ther!" She warbled, and grace strode forward to gather as many children in her arms as she physically could, Ben and Klaus resorting to hugging her waist and back. Pogo clucked at his master, formerly friend, in distain._

_"Must you be so callous?" He asked, mortified at the man who rescued him. He had grown from a mere nightmare to a fully grown terror._

_"What happened!?" Ben wailed from where His face was buried in his mother's ribs. Reginald had an annoyed look on his face as he tried to get back to writing his report, interrupted again. The noise was growing and growing until the old man couldn't take the sound of their incessant whinning any longer._

_"Do you want to know, six?" He snapped sharply and quickly, eager to get back to his duties. It was the boys stupid fault he was dead. Dead by stupid mistakes. He deserved it._

_"Number One had a seizure during the night. That means all of his limbs locked up and spasmed uncontrollably, causing muscle cramps and pain. He choked on his own fluids, and was unable to breathe. He bit his tongue, hit his head on his headboard and his nose started to bleed, hence graces dress. Hmmm yes. Very painful way to go I suppose. But there was nothing to be done. If you paid attention in training, then maybe you would have heard him, woken up, and gone to get help immediately. This only goes to show how much you really need to improve on. Dismissed." *see end notes.*_

_This time Grace swept them out of the room briskly, the horrifying silence penetrating the atmosphere as a thick, icy cloud. Klaus could swear he saw his breath mist. He could also swear he saw the astral figure of a short ghost running towards him, and, not in the mood for nightmares tonight, grabbed Ben and Diego and ran for his room out of fear. But nobody would be sleeping tonight. Vanya and Allison stayed huddled under moms arm, sobbing and crying hysterically. They started at 7, now down to five. They could only hope that, wherever beings go after death, five and Luther were sharing a long overdue hug._

_That night, Allison slept in his room._

_Meanwhile, nobody ever noticed the sad little boy darting around their circle._

_"GUYS" the boy wailed In misery._

_"GUYS LOOK AT ME!"_

_"IM RIGHT HERE!"_

_"IM SCARED"_

_"WHY ARENT YOU LOOKING AT ME?"_

_"SOMEBODY TALK TO ME!" The young boy howled in despair._

_"GUYS IM SCARED HELP ME! PLEASE!"_

_But nobody heard the lost boy._

_He collapsed onto the hallway floor, small body racked with heaving, unstoppable sobs, tears cascading down his face like a forbidden waterfall of trauma._

_"I'm right here..... Why can't you see me?"_

_He stood up shakily, no longer feeling the familiar feeling of the wooden hallways on his skin, nor the air he saw Diego and his other brothers shiver in. He felt nothing. Just, an outstanding, constant chill, like his body temperature had lowered considerably over night. In which case, it had._

_He fumbled his way towards Klaus's room, lead by muscle memory and tear filled eyes. He tried the door handle, only to look on with a wail of fear as his hand went through it with a nasty wet feeling that left goosebumps on his arms. But he needed his brother. He needed to tell them **what dad did.**_

_He walked through the wall with a grimace, collapsing on the floor on accident, willing himself not to be sick. Although he wasn't so sure he could at this point._

_He located Klaus in the gaggle of limbs that were his brothers. He was right in the middle, eyes open and dilated while his brothers lay sobbing by his side, an empty packet of pills on his left hand._

_He was high._

_The boy tried anyway._

_"KLAUS" he screamed desperately, trying to grab his brother by the shoulders with his normally steady hands to shake some sense or sobriety into him. Klaus shivered, before grunting and snarling._

_"Whoever you are, get the fuck away from me you stupid ghost now is not a good fucking time for me you can STAY DEAD!" Was made out, before his eyes rolled back, went hazy, and the boy could tell he would no longer be able to contact him. He yelled in raw fear._

_"KLAUS, ITS ME! It's me, nonononono it's ME!"_

_"YOU NEED TO SEE ME"_

_"I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!"_

_"GODAMN IT KLAUS THIS IS YOUR GODAMN POWER HELP ME!"_

_"IT WASNT A SEIZURE! **IT WASNT A SEIZURE!"**_

_He finally stopped, and slumped back defeated._

_That would be the last time that his brother, the only brother that could help, would be sober around him for years._

_This was his life now. Unnoticed, locked away, growing old but not aging until the house crumbled away and the skeletal catacombs of foundation were left in offering._

_Luther Hargreeves raised his wet blue eyes in a glare that would rival the toughest of opponents._

_He would keep his siblings safe._

_16 years later: present time_

In the present, Vanya walked through the door of the academy, small case in hand. Allison and Diego met her at the door. 

"The old man finally decided to kick the bucket, huh?" Diego chuckled darkly, bringing a cup of steaming coffee to his lips in a deep sip afterwards.

Allison scoffed, looking at the ground in an attempt to hide a smile at his words. It typically wasn't normal behaviour to celebrate the passing of a father. 

Vanya mirrored her, although hers was more out of shyness. Her anxiety meds were back at her apartment, and he would have to get some later if she planned on staying the night. 

"I guess...hey... are Klaus and Ben here ye-" she was cut of by the commotion of Ben running down the stairs, nearly tripping at the end.

"I don't want to be a snitch, but Klaus is trying to steal our inheritance." He panted, before spinning around and launching himself up the stairs again, bounding up them two at a time. 

Diego started after him quickly. "Oh hell no" he mumbled good naturdley, both his sister's wanting to join in the fun, following him with shrieks and giggles. It was almost like they were kids again. Plus or minus a few things. Like their dead siblings. But hey, in their line of work, five out of seven isn't bad!

They spent the next hour in Reginalds office, laughing at Klaus's scary impression of their dad, opening his eyes with his fingers and croaking 'numba threeee'. Diego also had to shove his hand down the side of Klaus's leather pants to retrieve a golden letter opener, which was promptly thrown into the forehead of his ugly portrait as a dare. More laughs and high fives were passed around in good nature. The good nature of shitting on their even shittier dad's memory, that is. 

If Klaus was 100% sober, or even a tinier bit less, he would have noticed that, on first arrival, he would not only be entertaining his living siblings, but his dead one aswell. Unfortunately, he had forced himself to drink a glass worth of whiskey, which was eventually taken away by Ben of course, before he could face the shitshow that was his father's funeral. He would have seen him sooner.

Luther sat by the window, swinging his legs back and forth as he laughed merrily and freely along with his- now much older!- siblings. He hadn't felt this elated in years! Already he could FEEL the aura of the house changing. The walls were rejoicing the fact that the ban on loud noises was lifted, creaking their thanks at the adults as they cranked up the music to "I think we're alone now!"

He let himself go, jumping down from the windowsill and twirling, singing, and laughing without a care in the world. It wasn't like any one could see him, anyway. He danced a little away from his siblings, who were jerking and moving in ways that could hardly be described as dancing. Vanya was doing a very good impression of someone who hadn't danced before (very likely not an impression) Diego was....He didn't know, Ben was moonwalking while trying to get Klaus to stop dancing with his father's ashes at the same time, and Allison was dancing with a scarf she found draped on the back of a chair. He walked towards the back of the room, next to the big old dusty radio (Reginald used it to monitor the city for crime), and plonked himself On top of it, stretching his long legs out as he belted out the lyrics playing on Allison's latest iPhone. He was So caught up in his favourite song, that he didn't exactly hear what came next.

"Go on Klaus!" Goaded Diego giggly. 

"Summon good old dad for us, so I can see his face when I stick his favourite notebook down the back of my pants!" 

"Oh my god Diego I can't BREATH-" 

"Go on Klaus!"

"Yeah let's see if the old hoot is still hanging around!" 

"Okay okay okay! I'll try my darn best siblings dearest!" He laughed, slapping his face a couple of times for comedic effect, also to clear the slight haze from his mind. He was no longer afraid of the ghosts he saw. Most of them didnt even know they were dead, just went along their daily lives as if they were living. There was an old Russian ghost, zoya popova, down the market, who collected the same bread, cheese, and jam everyday, walking away with an empty basket which she saw full. He nearly let drugs control his life during his teen years, before he and Ben collaborated in an effort to learn more about their powers. Now, years later, they had so much more control over themselves than they did before. He wouldn't be here without Ben.

He made a grand gesture by wiggling his arms and shaking his body with a loud BRRR noise, which got him boos and laughs and "get on with it"'s.

"Now now Reggie, I can feel a spirit in this room. Could you stop playing online tennis with hitler to come take a quick call? Come on out you great evil bastard-" he and his siblings laughed, before freezing in disbelief, as a young boys voice appeared over the loud music playing.

"Is that- that sounds like-" Vanya trembled, casting searching eyes upon her siblings, who had the same lost expression as she surely did.

"Luther." Allison whispered, finishing for her.

" _I think we're alone now! There doesn't seem to be anyone around!_ -", and they all startled extremely hard, Klaus the hardest, when they caught sight of their brother at the back of the room, on top of dad's old radio. He was belting out the lyrics with a larger than life smile on his face, eyes closed and head leaned back towards the ceiling. He was clad in their old grey training hoodies they slept in when they dared to, the umbrella crest an ugly stain on the soft fabric. The mens attention went to his bare legs, the old nostalgic pajama shorts were twisted up farther than they should have been, probably from where he jumped up onto the radio, while the girls were attracted to the white fluffy socks that drooped at his ankles, and the stained white converse mom bought them all after they had done particularly well on their latest mission.

Like this, belting with a smile, out of dress code, sitting on dad's things, he no longer looked like a soldier. Dads perfect number one. Nope. He simply looked like he ran out of fucks to give. And Klaus LOVED IT. 

Allison fumbled with her phone, silencing the music with shaking fingers, skipping to three other songs before she managed to turn it off. In the silence, the tension and shock was thick enough to cut with a knife. 

They watched as Luther whined -ACTUALLY WHINED- pitifully, before hooking his right leg over his left and groaning loudly.

"Uuuughhhh I haven't heard that song in YEARS! Why did you guys turn it off? Right when i was enjoying it too!" He asked rhetorically, eyes still closed, unaware that for the first time in 16 years, people could see him.

But Klaus was nothing but educational.

"Well maybe dear l-luther... it's because our brother who DIED 16 years ago is SITTING ON OUR ALSO DEAD DADS RADIO." He yelled in confusion, putting both arms out in a 'what the actual fuck is this illegal shit?' gesture. The rest of the adults winced as Luther choked, silently cursing Klaus for not having any tact. 

Luther flung his arms out wildly, snapping his neck towards his living siblings and managing to fall off the radio towards the floor. Luckily he managed to land on his feet in a crouch, before standing to attention and staring at them with wide innocent eyes. 

"Oh my god." He whispered. 

"The one time somebody finally sees me and I'm singing _tiffany."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's uhhh, still shit but longer than the prologue right?  
> (Also I know that's not what a seizure is, I was trying to get Reggie to come across as annoyed and/or dissmisive, eager to get the spot light off him, although in a very cruel manner. He is over doing it, trying to make the children scared and horrified in order for them to work harder in training. Trying to make the children not question....things...)  
> ...it's 3am it's defo gonna be shitty lmao


	3. Well...shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This family is a GODAMN NIGHTMARE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I'm sorry, this chapter has been in my drafts for about 5 months and I just needed to get it out. If it seems rushed...It is.) 
> 
> I still love bb Luther tho

Well, if Luther wanted excitement, a change of pace if you will, he certainly got it. 

His hands flew to his ears as he tried to pick out individual voices in the midst of one giant train wreck. He couldn't tell if the high shrill babbles were coming from Allison or Diego which, he thought, was concerning. Klaus was flapping his arms mutley, hitting himself in the chest and throwing his arms out towards Luther in a " _what the fuck?? How are you?? How am I??"_ jumble of obvious confusion. Diego was spluttering out nonsense as he gripped his hair with one hand and a knife in the other, looking slightly manic in his element. Meanwhile Allison and Vanya were making incomprehensible shrill noises as they clutched eachother and stared at him, daring to move closer to their -previously- dead brother. Ben was just sitting on the floor, completely zoned out with the _stupidest_ look on his face, eyes bugged out and chest heaving. He was mumbling under his breath, something that Luther couldn't hear.

Klaus finally yelled out a big old "WHAT THE FUCK?", and that's when it happened. 

His concentration broke, and Luther flickered out of existence for an evil couple of seconds. 

Those seconds absolutely terrified Luther. It was only a couple of seconds, but it felt like a year. A reminder that yes, they may see him now, but what happened when Klaus goes to sleep? Drinks? Looses concentration or leaves? Nonono he had just got his siblings back, they could SEE HIM! They arent going to lose him now. 

His siblings yelled in alarm at Klaus to bring him back, and he fumbled like a baby fawn.

"Okayokayokayokayokay!" He panicked, closing his eyes and concentrated extra hard, reaching out and feeling for that familiar presence of a lonely spirit. He touched a loud, warm aura, and grabbed it, pulling it into Existance. 

Luther reappeared.

Right in front of Diego's face. 

He yelled out a curse and flew backwards, arms windmilling as he tried to regain control. Luther also reeled back, clearly not expecting such an extreme reaction from his brother. He was perched on Reginald desk, eye level with his taller siblings, and raised his hands quickly in surrender.

"I - i w-was just trying to get your a-attention!" He defended rapidly, seemingly out of Breath. Could ghosts even get out of Breath? Who knows. Wouldn't be the most confusing or surreal thing out there. 

The rest of the hargreeves gripped their chest areas as they watched Luther jump off the table and dart over to the other side of the room, a safe distance away where they could both observe eachother. 

Nobody dared speak. Luther was scrutinizing the bodies of the...older... hargreeves, which was apparent. He was scanning their faces with furrowed brows and those piercing, bright blue eyes they often saw in their dreams. Allison took a deep breath as those eyes met hers. They were a familiar presence, if a little more...haunted, than all those years ago. Those eyes often appeared in her dreams, along with the smiling, laughing face of the young boy, as he sat in a whirlwind of pink petals and flowers. Decisively innocent. She hears his joyful laugh in those dreams, and wakes up in tears, wondering, is this just a dream? Or is he trying to tell me he's at peace? And eventually, she convinced herself it was the latter. It was strangely comforting, seeing her brother in her dreams. It was almost as if he was there watching her, guiding her, with those large but gentle hands throughout her and her siblings life. 

It was Diego who broke the small silence. 

He darted forward suddenly, a thousand questions on his lips as he closed in on his smaller brother, when Luther flinched violently. 

He yelped, and dropped straight through the floor. 

Immediately the other siblings erupted in loud noise. 

"DIEGO WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?" Yelled Klaus, who was staring wide eyed at the spot his brother disappeared from.

"BRING HIM BACK" Ben shouted at Klaus, frantic.

"BENTAI I SWEAR TO GOD I WOULD IF I COULD! YOU KNOW I CAN'T SUMMON GHOSTS AGAIN IF THEY LEAVE ON THEIR OWN!" 

"THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME-" 

"STOP!" 

The strong command came from Allison, her forceful presence stood proud and tall near Reginalds desk, her arm woven around Vanyas shoulders as the shy woman attempted to escape. 

"We're not helping him when we're screaming at eachother! Let's calm down, handle this like the adults we are. First, we need to find Lu-," she faltered, unused to referring to her brother in the sense that he was alive, "Luther, then we can go from there." 

There were mutual agreements from the others in the room, a short silence, then frantic scrambling as they left the room in search of their dead brother. 

What a day. 

Luther cursed himself as he landed on the floor beneath with a weightless grace. He didn't mean to panic, but with Diego suddenly driving forward like that his mind sprung back to training all those years before, except this time his brother wasn't aiming to hurt him, knife in his hand and fire in his eyes, and Luther didn't have to worry about the hidden strength hidden in his bones, intertwined in his DNA, he didn't have to worry about lashing out and killing his brother with a simple blow to the chest or head. 

It was...refreshing. 

He had landed in the living room, and he perched upon one of the sofas, crossing his legs and biting his lip in anxiety. On the one hand, he was absolutley ecstatic! His siblings, the amazing people he loved with all his heart, had _found him again._ They TALKED to him, had heard him! God he could cry. In fact he probably would as soon as the shock faded. On the other hand, however, he was shit scared. He was totally unprepared for...well....people. He had gone years and years without any contact from the living and he had no idea how to process it. Just that small interaction left him feeling drained and shaken, clearly overwhelming him too much...He just....he just...

He let out a frustrated groan, edging on a scream, and he was glad he was out of his siblings hearing range. He didn't even know how he felt. He wanted to be around his siblings, he wanted to soak up their warmth and their laughter and fully immerse himself in the feeling of family. He had been getting really good at materialising these past years, and he bet, one hundred percent, that if he tried hard enough, he could stay solid long enough to give his siblings a hug. And they were much bigger than him now, practically GIANTS! He wished he could be big too. But that just meant that when they finally did hug, he would be enveloped in _them. Their aura, their scent, their warmth and their arms,_ dwarfed by their height and weight, sinking into them and losing himself in the soft rumble of their sighs. And frankly he couldn't wait.....but for now....

For now he would just observe. 'He would warm up to one at a time' he declared in his mind. That way he would get the attention he desperately needed, but he wouldn't get too overwhelmed. It was the perfect plan. 

His head shot up and his eyes widened as the chandeliers shook, the thundering footfalls of the adult Hargreeve children rumbled down the stairs with gusto, barging into empty rooms and screaming his name in desperation. He distinctly heard Klaus trip and fall somewhere down the hall. He winced, standing up and shaking himself, before bringing his arms up and hugging himself, offering himself the only comfort he could right now. He nodded, once, unconsciously adapting his fierce leader face and strong stance. He knew who he was going to observe first.

He disappeared right as Allison and Ben burst into the room, heads darting left and right before beginning their sweep of the large space, frantic and hopeful, calling out his name still, as if he would suddenly reappear. But Luther was already gone, off to study and psyche himself up for the encounter that was going to happen.

He was going to talk to Diego. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prologue so it's short lmfao.   
> So uhhhhh my love for Cameron brodeur is what really made this ig. I wish people would stop hating on Luther. He's just a great big lug who, even though he went the very wrong way about it, just tried to protect the majority of the family. ALSO I HC THAT LUTHER STAYED BEHIND BCS REGGIE SAID "YOUR SIBLINGS CAN LEAVE IF YOU STAY" AND I LIVE BY THAT


End file.
